Ball winding machine



DCC. 21, H' N HUSE BALL wINDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed oct. 25, 1947 INVENTOR. H/QAM /V. HUSE TTOQ/VEY 'IIA H. N. HUSE BALL WINDING MACHINE Dec. 21, 1948.

Filed oct. 25. 1947' 2 Sheets-,Sheet 2 1N V EN TOR.

Patented Dec. 21, 1948 UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE 2,456,944 y BALL WINDING MACHINE Hiram N. Huse, Providence, R. I. Application October 25, 1947, Serial No. 782,069

9 claims.

This invention is directed to an improvement in ball winding machines wherein one or more threads are wound upon a core, and provides a construction wherein the ball, during the winding operation, is held between two driven ro-l tatable heads.

'Ihese heads carry a plurality of driven rollers whichl engage the surface of the ball as it is being wound. Each roller is carried in a driven roller support.

This general construction i-s shown in my prior Patents 1,959,760 of May 22, 1934 and 2,076,565 of April 13, 1937, the present invention providing, however, an improved construction wherein means are provided for separating the movements of the rollers and the roller supports. This enables me to prevent excessive voids and thread crossings on the ball surface, and to produce a very hard, dense and truly spherical ball. These are very desirable features particularly when winding golf balls.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I hav illustrated an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rotatable heads of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a section through Fig. 1, taken on the line 22;

Fig. 3 is an elevational View of the right hand end of the machine of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an explanatory cam diagram.

Inasmuch a-s the ball being wound is held between two opposed rotating heads, some means must be provided for permitting the heads to be moved away from each other as the ball diameter increases. In the instant machine I may vemploy a construction for this purpose similar to that disclosed in my prior Patent 1,959,760 above re-4 ferred to. For this reason I have omitted showing this construction in the drawings of the in stant application.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 2 and 4 designate the two driven rotatable rotors or heads of my improved machine. These rotors or heads are opposed to each other as above mentioned and as illustrated in Fig. 1. Inasmuch as the rotors are identical in construction a descrip. tion of rotor 2 which has been shown in section will suilice for both.-

The main drive shaft is designated s, this shaft driving both rotors or heads..

The rotor 2 is driven in a constant direction from the' main drive shaft 8, through gears 8 and I0, tubular rotor drive shaft I2 and its fiange I4 which is bolted to the rotor or head 2 as shown `Z at I8. Gear I0, it will be noted is keyed to the rotor drive shaft l2.

As hjust mentioned, the rotor drive shaft I2 is tubular, and extending centrally through this shaft and into thehousing of the rotor or head 2 is a spindle drive shaft I8.

A tubular or quill shaft 20 also extends through the rotor drive shaft I2, and immediately sur.- round-s the spindle drive shaft I8. This shaft may properly be termed a cam shaft in that it mounts a cam 22 which is positioned within the housing of the rotor or head 2.

Reverting to the spindle drive shaft I8, it will be seen from the drawings, particularly Fig. 1, that a gear 24 is keyed to the inner end of this shaft. This is a spindle drive gear.

Each of the rotors, or heads 2 and 4 is equipped with three ball-supporting rollers 26 for supporting the ball 28 as it is being wound, each roller preferably being provided with a cap 29 similar to the cushion caps 'I0 of my prior Patent 2,076,565. These caps, as explained in lthat patent are so constructed as toslip aroundvon the surface of the ball-supporting rollers to turn and twist with the ball, and hence preventfabra.- sion of the ball surface. The winding thread is designated 30.

Each ball-supporting roller 26 is rotatable on its own axis. The gear 24, referred to as a spindle drive gear, meshes constantly with three pinions 32, rigidly secured to a spindle 34 vwith which each ball-supporting roller 26 of the head 2 is provided. Each of these -spindles extends through a rotatable roller support 38 which is mounted in the forward or ball-winding end of the housing of the rotor or head 2, the projecting end of each spindle extending into a ball-supporting roller.

Each ball-supporting roller 26 is carried on a stub shaft 38 which is inclined to the axis of rotationl of the rotors 2 and 4, this shaft' being mounted in suitable bearings in the roller supports 36. Each of these stub shafts carries a bevel gear 4D constantly meshing with bevel gear 42 on each of the spindles 34.

It will be apparent from the .description so far given that rotation of the spindle drive shaft ,I8 will effect simultaneous rotation ofthe ballsupporting rollers '2li of the head 2, the rollers all rotating in the same direction, through train composed of the' gears 24, 32, spindles -34 .and gears 42 land 40. l I

In addition to rotation of the ball-supportingy rollers l2,6 on their *individual axes, the supports 36 for these rollers ,(one'for each ball-supporting 2,456,944 I f .l .I

are in mesh with one part of the gear 54. The p other part of gear 54 meshes with a gear segment 58. This gear segment is carried by a cal-rr lever 66 fulcrumed on a pin 62 which is fixed with re- Inasmuch as the cam 22 rotates relatively to the head or housing 2, and inasmuch as the fulcrum pin 62 for the cam lever 6l) is xed with relation to the head or housing 2, as above pointed out, it will be apparent that the cam lever 60 may be pivoted on its fulcrum pin 62. As will be seen from the diagram, Fig. 4, the cam 22 is shaped to provide two dwells 84 and 86 and two `active surfaces 88 .and dil, arranged a1- ;temately. `Consequeniily throughout traverse of the cam follower along the dwell 84 the cam v lever 60 remains stationary, and the roller supspect to the housing of the head or Arotor 2. The 1 cam lever carries a cam roller 6I which .follows the ca m track 64 0f the cam 22.

vIt will ybe apparent Afrom the immediately foregoing description that the roller .supports .36 will be :rocked about their individual kaxes by the .gear .segment or raok depending upon the shape .of the cam track '64 `of the cam 22. from which the gear segment receives .its motion In my y.Driyious Patent 2,076,565 the cam. I2 correspondmg to instant cam 22 .was secured directly to a shaft '6 corresponding to the spindle drive .shaft i8 oi this application. In my improved `construction the cam 22 being keyed instead to the cam shaft 26 is free to rotate relatively to spindle drive shaft I8. r

I have already explained that the head 2 is driven from shaft 6 through gears' 6 and l0.. l

the latter in effect 'being keyed to the head.

On the outer end of thevcam drive shaft 2n is agear 616 'which is keyed tothe shaft andmeshes with a gear 68 keyed to 'the .drive shaft 6. As

will be apparent from the drawings Athe gear ratio shaft 26 carries -a pinion I0 at its outer'end'mes-hing with a gear segment 'I2 keyed tojfulcriim pin '14 mounted in .tit-1e gear 66, the latter being keyed to Shaft 2li. The `fuierum pin 'I4 is free to turn in gear i68 and lprojects beyondthe inner face of this gear and rigidly secured thereto is cam lever arm 716 `carrying cam follower roller "I8 riding in cam track 81) of a cam 82 which is rigidly secured to the face of gear I 0.

Operation inasmuch as the 'two heads 2 and 4 are identicai .in construction. it wiil 4be appreciated of course that the action taking pla-ce in one head is sliinailtanedusly ,beingfdfuplicated :in the other Let it be assumed that the main drive shaft 6 is rotating at a constant speed.: Lnasmuchas the head 2 is geared directly to this shaft through gears .8 and ,Ill .it is obvious that the head will rotate constantly at afixed speed.

The cam drive shaft 20 "being keyed directly to gear '66 which is rotating at a dierent speed from head-driving gear H), the cam-drive shaft will be rotated at a different speed from the head 2,l and inasmuch as y'the cani 22 is keyedzdirectly to shaft 2.0 the cam 22 necessarily rotates atfja different speed from Vthe head 2. It is apparent therefore that aiways there is relative rotary movement ibetween head 2 Iand cam-22.

ports 36 remain stationary so far as rotation i on their individual axes is concerned merely being Carried about the axis of the machine by the head. The cam follower next engages an active :segment 83 of the cam causing the cam lever ,to rock thereby to rotate the roller supports 36 in parallel relation on their individual axes all in the one direction. A dwell 86 of the cam 22 is vnext encountered so vthat roller supports again remainfstation-ary sofar iasidtation about their individual aXesfar-e concerned.v 'Next the active segment 63 of fthe carri is encountered and the cam levert@ A'is again rocked, but in the reverse direction to its original ymotion `again to impart rotation to the roller supports in parallel relation about their individual faxes. This constitutes a cyela'and it :willthe apparent that during each cycle the roller supports 5are rotated about 4their individual axes in parallel relation, first in one .direction andffthen ,inthe other, with an appreciable dwell between re- Up to this point it 3l he seen that the head 2 and cam 22y `rotate constantly in .one direc? the cam rotating at a `diiierent speed from the head, thereby thioughthe mechanism ,described intermittmtly -eiecting rotation of the lroller supports ein parallel relation on their in? dividual axes, rst in one direction andgthen the other, with an appreciable ydwell between reversals determined bythe idwiells on the cani.

.As above pointed .out rotationof shaft I8 effects rotation of hall-Supporting" `rollers 2d about their individual .axes which arednclined to the longitudinal axis of the macchine, power being transmitted from the Vshaft* .I 8 through gears 24 and 32, spindles 34, gearsAZ and/lil.

The function of the cam B2 and ,its.associated elements to cause the ,spindle .drive shaft I8 .and hence the spindles ,3A and tneloall-supportf ing and driving rollers .2.6 to rotate labout their individual axes in a constant direction during the periods the roller supports. are dwelling the ball-supporting lrollers rdeviating `from .this common or constant direction due ,to the action of the cam lever 76 and its cam follower roller in .the cam, whereby .the rollers 25 become xed in relation to the roller supports 3B .during rotas tion of the roller supports in. either .direction in parallel relation ,about their individual -4 1\;Tornc1a11y the ball-supporting and. driving rollers 26 turn in one common direction, due `to the differential movement of the gears I0 and 66. vThe only departure from this action is when the roller supports are rotated injpar'allel relation about their individual axes to alter or vary the setting of the rollers'relatively to the head. Consequently the cam 812 is'so' shaped that whenever the roller supports 136 Yare rotatedin either direction yin parallel relation about their f. individual axes vthe rollers 26 rotate with-the supports, the rollers at all other ytimes vrotatiifig` inaeonstantdirection. f f

Again referring to the diagram of Fig. 4, during the period represented by line A-B the rollers 26 are rotating in relation to the supports 36. The supports during that period are not rotating on their individual axes but are merely being carried around with the head 2 about the axis of rotation of the head; during the period represented by the line B-C both the rollers and the roller supports are rotating in fixed relation; during the period represented by C`D the rollers are rotating on their individual axes in relation to the roller supports which throughout that period are not rotating on their individual axes; while during the period represented by line D-A the rollers and roller supports are rotating in fixed relation.

In other words means are provided for effecting a deviation in the normal rotation of the rollers 26 to cause them to move integrally with the roller supports whenever the roller supports are vrotated in parallel relation on their individual axes in either direction.

It will be apparent from all of the foregoing, that if the thread 3'0 were led to a core 28 from a fixed source in line with the vertical plane through the core center, and the rollers 26 simply carried around with the heads 2 and 4, the core would merely be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the machine, and the thread would simply be wound about the core equator. `It is evident also that were the axes of the driving rollers 26 parallel to the axis of rotation of the core the core would be given the same motion. The axes of the driving rollers, however, are inclined to the longitudinal axis of the machine, so that with the heads stationary and the driving rollers rotating the core would be turned or rotated about an axis which is at the same angle to the longitudinal axis of the machine as the roller spindles 38.

However, rotation of the rotors 2 and 4 about the longitudinal axis of the machine and rotation of the rollers 26 on their individual axes which are at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the machine, take place simultaneously. In addition the roller supports 36 are rotated periodically in parallel relation on their individual axes, rst in one direction and then the other, with an appreciable dwell between rotations, and at such times because of the cam 82 and its associated mechanism there is no relative movement between the rollers and the roller supports. In other words, the rollers 26 deviate from their normal rotation so as to move integrally with the roller supports whenever the roller supports are rotated in either direction in parallel relation about their individual axes.

It will be apparent therefore that as the thread 39 is drawn onto the core a true sphere is produced by intermittently changing the driving axis of the core relative to the winding axis. It will be appreciated also that by the provision of the cam 82 and its coaction with the cam 22 I eliminate the compound movements of the rollers 26 and roller support 36. The separation of the movements of the rollers and rolled supports effects a flatter and more dense thread winding on the ball, and prevents the closed Weave or thread crossings at a single point on the ball surface which are produced by the mechanisms of my two prior patents above referred to.

It is to `be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts above described within the purview of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a ball winding machine, the combination of opposed rotatable winding heads, ball-driving rollers carried by said heads, means ior normally rotating said rollers on their individual axes in a common direction, supports for said rollers carried by saidvheads, means for intermittently rotating said supports first in one direction and then in the opposite direction in parallel relation on their individual axes, and means for intermit# tently deviating the normal rotation of the balldriving rollers to cause the rollers to rotate integrally with the roller supports during rotation oi' the latter in either direction.

`2. In a ball winding machine, the combination of opposed rotatable winding heads, ball-'driving rollers carried by said heads, means for normally rotating said rollers in a common direction about individual axes which are angularly disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of the heads, supports for said rollers carried by said heads, means for'intermlttently rotating said supports rst in one direction and then in the opposite direction in parallel relation on their individual axes, and means for intermittently deviating the normal rotation of the ball-driving rollers in vtimed relation with rotation of the roller supports to cause the rollers to rotate integrally with the supports during rotation of the supports.

3. In a ball winding machine, the combination of opposed winding heads, means for rotating the same on a common axis, ball-driving rollers car ried by said heads, means for normally rotating said rollers in a common direction about individual axes which are angularly disposed with respect to the axis oi rotation of the heads, supports for said rollers carried by said heads, means for intermittently rotating said supports simultaneously first in one direction and then in the opposite direction in parallel relation on their individual axes which are parallel to the aXis of rotation of the heads, and means for intermittently deviating the normal rotation of the ball-driving rollers in timed relation with the intermittent rotation of the roller supports to cause the rollers to rotate integrally with the supports during rotation of the supports.

4. In a ball winding machine, the combination of opposed Winding heads, means for rotating the same on a common axis, ball-driving rollers carried by said heads, means for normally rotating said rollers in .a common direction about individu-a1 axes angularly disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of the heads, supports for said rollers carried by said heads, cam -controlled means for intermittently effecting rotation of said supports simultaneously first in one direction and then in the opposite direction in parallel relation von their individual axes, and cam controlled means for interrupting the normal rotation of the rollers in timed relation to rotation of the roller supports whereby the rollers rotate integrally with the supports during rotation of .the supports.

5. In a ball Winding machine, the combination of opposed winding heads, means for rotating same on a common axis, ball driving rollers carried by said heads, means for normally rotating said rollers in constant rolling contact with the ball in a constant direction about individual axes angularly disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of the heads, supports for said rollers carried by said heads, cam actuated means for intermittently effecting rotation of said supports simultaneously first in one direction and then in the opposite direction in parallel relation on their i! individual axes, and cam actuated; means foreffecting deviation or the: said rollersy from their non-nal rotation in timed relation to rotation of the roi-Ier supports whereby .the r'oliers and supports.rotaterintegrally.

(i:V In aball Winding; machine thev combination oi opposed Winding heads, means for rotating said heads as a unit about a common axis, sets of balle supporting and. driving rollers carried by each head, ya.. stun shaft for mounting. each roller the saidshafts being set at an acuteangle to theI axis of rotation. of said heads, spindles for normali-y rotating said shaits in a constant' direction with the rollers in constant rolling Contact With the balli, mounts for said, spindleacam mechanisms for interrrttently effecting rotation of said mono tsv in. parallel relation abouty their individual aises rstzinf one direction and thenin' the opposite direction', and cam mechanism? operable during rotation. of the said` mounts toeffect integral rotation ot 'the mounts and rollers.

In a= ball Win-ding machine .the combi-nation of.' opposed Wind-ingheads, rne'an's for rotating said headsas'a uni-t2 about a com-mon' axtasetsof ballsrioporting and drivingy rollers carried by each head, spindles for driving'saidfrollerasaid spindles operating: normallyv izo-'rotate saidvv rollers ina com stent: direotioninrolling and driving. con-tact with the ball, a mount for each spindle",. means for in termittently effecting; rotation of said mounts in paralleli relation about axes parallel: to the axis of rotation; ot the heads, first in onev direction: and

in .thev opposite? direction, and cam mechanism. operable momentarily yto effect a deviation the1 normal; notation `of said spindles' whereby the: spindles 4and mounts will be rotated! integral- 1y.

Se In a. balwmding machine combination or a. winding heart a gear iior rotating the same a constant direction, roller ,suiziportsl mounted said' head; bali-driving rollers carri-ed: by the roller supports,- a cam rigidly afXed Ito saidgear, a second gear cooper-ating with said cam: for normally eiecting rotation of said4 rollersi in a constan-t direction, al second; cam, ysaid second cam being: mounted in: and rotatable relatively to said head,- s'aiizd. seeondcamf being' operative periodical@ ly effect rotatior'rV of' sail-li` supports in parallel relation inv onev direction annif-tiren the other, and means cooperating with the rst mentioned canr and! the said second; gear vsrhereloyv the rollers are -eausedi tor deviate: from their' normalk rotation so as to rotate integrally with the roller supports.

9; In: a 'ball Winding machine the' combination of a winding', headg. a; gear for rotating same in a constantI direction; a" plurality of rollerY supports rotatably' m'cnnixted in said4 head; a ball-driving roller rotatahly Acarried* by' each oi" said supports; a second gear yconcentric with the' rst gear but rotating at;` a. different spe-edf therefrom, a' cam inV said head; driven by the second 'gear Wherelc'r the' c'anr: Willa be rotated relatively 'to' the head, a driving connection between: the las-t mentioned cant and the roller' supports' whereby thefroliler supports will be rotated. :periodically inl parallel relation fir-si? one: `direction. and then in the: op'd postte direction; and a second cam carried bythe first' mentioned gear and connectedy to' the' second gear by a cam lever and operatively' connected to rollers, whereby during? rotation oi the' roller supports the supports and rollers Will rotate as a HCLR'AM. N. HUSE,

No references cited. 

